Nighttime
by VictoriaGrant
Summary: Pre- PD I/ Clarisse/Josef, rated M to be safe.


The heat had made her throw off her blanket hours ago, leaving her lying on the bed in only her nightshirt, the lilac silk hugging her body like a second skin.

She could feel a band of sweat making it´s way slowly down her neck from her hairline, tickling her skin and causing her to shiver slightly, her eyelids fluttering as she fought consciousness.

She was seeking sleep, desperately, she was so tired she seemed to be floating, the longing to loose herself in dreamless nothingness so powerful, begging to her strained mind and body and yet there was something holding her back -some sense of danger.

Something in the atmosphere in the room had changed since she last had paid attention to it, it had darkened somehow, grown richer, heavier.

Her hazy senses had missed the brief opening of the door, missed the shadow slipping inside her room and yet she felt his presence invading her mind, even though she couldn´t tell if she had finally drifted off to sleep and he was only there in her dreams, a question asked countless times but never addressed to the person who could have answered it, never addressed anywhere, it was only in her mind she was asking it, only in her mind just like all the other forbidden thoughts she had.

The need to breathe more deeply was overwhelming her, her rosy lips parted slightly as she gave in to it, her blue eyes suddenly flying open.

Moonlight was casting shadows into the room, making the familiar surroundings look bizarre like some strange world her over- stimulated mind was producing and yet somehow she was certain that she was awake.

"How many times have you been found in your employer´s wife´s bedroom before now?"

She asked, making no effort to move from her position on the bed.

He stepped out of the shadows, looming over her, his body radiating a power that made her tremble with forbidden longing.

She slowly turned her head to look up at him, his eyes glittering in the almost darkness of the room.

"I should alert the guards" she stated lazily, watching a smile form on his face.

"I am your guard" he replied evenly.

"I´d say that leaves me in a slightly difficult situation then" she mused, still in the same lazy voice, she felt far too comfortable with him to be afraid, trusted him too much.

"Only a difficult one?"

He sat down on the bed next to her, his eyes raking over her body.

"You havn´t answered my question."

"I don´t want to answer it."

"I assumed you wouldn´t but I´d like to know."

"Another arising difficulty" he told her, now studying her face.

"Rather an unpleasant clash of interests" she replied, drawing a sharp breath as he extended his hand and brushed her hair away from her damp forehead.

"The heat is too much" she breathed, lost in his intense gaze.

"It´s burning me alive."

"Are you scared?"

He asked her, his fingertips slowly tracing the curve of her neck, the touch feather- light.

She slowly shook her head.

"I never am when I´m with you."

She felt his fingers toying with the strap of her nightshirt before pushing it off of her shoulder, the small gesture sending another wave of heat through her body.

"What do you want?"

She was breathless already and he just looked at her, humoring her with his smile, there was no need for an answer to that question.

"You loose your job for entering my room without permission- for touching me it could be your head."

He smiled at her words, his hand now traveling over the lace trimming above her cleavage.

"It´s worth it."

"How can you know that?"

She challenged him, never one to give in too easily.

"I just do" he said simply, his hand wandering still lower, dangerously close to her anxiously beating heart.

She pressed herself into his hand as it cupped her breast without thinking, craving for the contact, the heat that had bothered her so much all night long forgotten as a different heat from deep within her threatened to consume her, swallow her whole.

"Why tonight?"

She breathed into his ear, feeling him shiver against her.

"It´s the heat" he answered, his voice becoming even lower, a dark rumble against the pulsing artery at her neck.

She could have occupied her mind with pondering his answer then, wondering if it was the heat pouring into the room from the August night that was leaving the silk of the queen´s nightshirt sticking to her skin, intensifying the sensation of the hard male body pressed to her softer womanly one or if it was that other heat he was referring to, that mysterious, dark sensation that was creeping to her system, ensnaring her senses, enslaving her mind as she helplessly sought closer contact with the man hovering above her.

"Please, more, I need more" her voice was barely recognizable to herself now, so needy, breathless, heavy with desire.

She felt him smile, knowing he was basking in her begging him to touch her and for a moment she wondered if he had thought it possible that she would refuse him, if there was the risk of her telling him to leave, telling him that she wanted him gone in the morning- but no, not him, he never did anything without being certain he´d succeed.

She felt his hand pull up the hem of her nightshirt, his fingers on the bare skin on her thigh causing her to draw a sharp breath, then she gasped when he pulled her up towards him to bring the silky fabric up over her head.

Her skin flushed as his eyes hungrily roamed her naked flesh, she had never felt so exposed and yet she couldn´t imagine being more comfortable with anyone than she felt with him right now.

He began to caress her, his fingers dancing across her skin, feather light touches that left her tingling but weren´t enough to ease the aching need deep within her.

"Not enough" she breathlessly complained and he shook his head, then leaned down and pressed a deep kiss to her parted lips.

"It could never be enough" he told her, his lips traveling over her jaw and she bent her head back, exposing her neck to him, moaning when she felt his teeth nip at her sensitive skin.

"You could at least make an effort at trying."

"Always a tease, aren´t you" he chuckled as she impatiently ripped his shirt open, causing the tiny buttons to fly everywhere.

"How are you going to explain those to the maids?"

He asked, looking up at her.

She smirked devilishly.

"I´ll make you pick them up later."

"What makes you think I would?"

"I think by then you´ll do whatever I want" she replied lazily, her fingernails scraping his bare back.

"Promises, promises" he smiled, then groaned when her nails bit into his flesh.

"I don´t make empty promises, you should know that" she bit his earlobe, feeling amused when he flinched.

"Did that hurt?"

"What if it did?"

"I might apologize" she whispered innocently, her fingertips sneaking underneath the waistband of his trousers.

"You don´t do apologize" he reminded her, sounding a little shaky as she continued to tease him.

"RIght, I don´t- by the way, you are overdressed."

"That depends what you have in mind."

"For that you should apologize to me" she scratched him again, this time getting some satisfaction out of his little yelp of pain.

He was back in control a moment later, reaching for her wrists and pinning her hands up over her head while straightening up.

She writhed a little, putting on a show for him as she watched his eyes darken at the sight.

"You are so damn beautiful, it´s indescribable."

"If it´s indescribable anyway, you should stop talking and get out of those damn clothes" she growled, she was getting impatient and as much as she enjoyed his obvious adoration there was still time for that later after all.

"How do you even know words like that?"

"I think I have learned them from my bodyguard, he knows a lot of them."

"You shouldn´t socialize with someone like that then- after all you are a true lady, aren´t you?"

She laughed heartily as she relaxed back into the sheets while he started to get out of his remaining clothes, her eyes raking over his muscular body.

"But of course- I´m the queen after all, I´m above any doubt."

"Yes, ma´am."

He stretched out next to her and reached for her again, pulling her tightly against him as his lips sought her´s again.

She pulled him on top of her, her legs locking around his waist as their kisses grew urgent, her fingernails digging into his upper arms as he slowly entered her, their tongues mimicking the movement of their bodies.

He held her gaze, his hands moving underneath her back to hold her as close to him as possible.

She allowed herself to fall into the sensation of their love making, with him it all seemed to come naturally, no forced display of passion, no faked pleasure, harmonic completion as the amazing heat curled her up inside, tightening until finally she exploded into glorious satisfaction, grateful that he covered her lips with his again at the exact right moment to prevent her from crying out in ecstasy.

He followed her shortly, his body molding into her´s as he relaxed into her arms, he kissed her once again, this time very tenderly before looking at her again.

"Clarisse, I-" "Shh."

She shook her head.

"Don´t say it, please, just leave it unsaid."

He looked at her, a strange expression on his face and she knew what he must be thinking and hastily tightened her grip around his shoulders.

"It´s not what you think, I do feel the same way, I really do."

"You think if I don´t tell you you can go on pretending?"

"No, I think that if I allow myself to listen to you telling me that you love me I will get up and wake my husband and tell him that I want a divorce and that´s not acceptable."

"Obviously it isn´t, even I understand that."

"So you promise you won´t tell me then?"

"I won´t tell you- if you promise me that you won´t forget it."

"Of course not- forgetting it would mean forgetting that I feel the same for you and I never could do that."

"I should go."

"I can´t ask you to stay."

"What if I do it all the same?"

She had expected the question and yet she didn´t have an answer, all she could do was hiding her face against his neck, her body trembling at the thought of being depraved of the warmth that was enveloping it, despite the outward heat.

She felt him shift so that he came to lie next to her, then he pulled her to him again, draping her across his chest, her head pillowed on his shoulder.

"Go to sleep" he whispered to her, his lips grazing his temple as she tiredly closed her eyes, she knew that she would sleep now, the restlessness gone from her mind and body, making way for a peace and relaxation she was sure wouldn´t last, once she was awake again she would start to think, start to fully comprehend what she had done and what consequences there could be and yet she knew she wouldn´t regret it.

"Clarisse?"

"Hm?"

"What will we do?"

"What we have done before- trying to cope."

"Trying to cope with benefits?"

He joked half heartedly but she smiled all the same.

"Yes, Josef, trying to cope with benefits."


End file.
